Splicing machine



June 4, 1957 c. N. DRUMMOND 2,794,489

SPLICING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1955 Fig.1

INVENTORK CARL NORMAN DRUM MOND BY f ATTORNEY United States Patent SPLIClNG MACHINE Carl Norman Drummond, Wilmington, Del., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 20, 1955, Serial No. 523,170

8 Claims. (Cl. 15442.1)

This invention relates to a splicing machine and more particularly to a new splicing machine for applying pressure-sensitive perforated tape to a' similarly perforated film, foil, tape or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and dependable tape splicing machine. Another object is to provide such a machine which is easy to assemble and operate. Yet another object is to provide such a machine which is inexpensive and has few moving parts; A further object is to provide such a machine which is compact in structure. A still further object is to provide? a tape splicing machine which can be used for butt-splicing and overlap-splicing motion picture and sound recording The novel tape splicing machineof: this invention comprises. a bedplate having on its upper surface registration pins, a pivoted casing which isadapted to receive a roll of. pressure-sensitive tape, the bottom wall of said casing having a cutaway portion about the registration: pins; For convenience, the base is provided with acuttei'? and adjacent registration pins so that the ends of perforated: films to be spliced can be accurately trimmed. Also forconvenience, the base plate is provided with apivoted plate which fits over the registration. pins and: is used to lift splicedlengths of perforated film or the like from the pins.

The tape splicing machine of. this. invention. will: now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which. constitutes a part of the present specification and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, wherein Fig. 1 is a planviewofthesplicingmachine;

Fig. 2 is a side" elevation of the splicing machine; and

Fig; 3 i's'a perspective viewof the splicing machine with lengths of film to be spliced in position.

Referring now to the drawing, the tape splicing machine comprises bedplate 1 having on its upper surface registration pins 2. These pins are in a row and are adapted to interfit with the perforations in the perforated motion picture film or sound recording film or other perforated web to be mended or spliced. Two of these pins in each row or rows are close together so as to fit into adjacent holes in the strips of film to be spliced. The other pins are spaced farther apart to interfit with more distant perforations. As shown, two rows of pins are used to interfit with doubly-perforated films. For splicing singly-perforated films, only one row is required.

A combined tape dispenser casing and pressure plate 3 is pivotally mounted on said base plate and it consists of a fiat bottom 4 which presses against the web to be spliced and a cover portion 5. The bottom is provided with arms 6 which are pivotally mounted on hinge pins 7 and 8. The latter pin is elongated and provided with a head 9. Spring 10 encircles this pin and presses against the head and knife 11 forcing it into cutting relationship with fixed cutter 12 whch is attached to one end of the bedplate. The knife is provided with handle 13. On the surface of bedplate 1 near the fixed cutter are registration pins 14 on which the films F to be spliced are placed and cut penser unit.

ICC

so that they will have straight, smooth ends. This is of particular importance when the films are spliced in abutting rather than overlapping relationship.

The cover of. the dispenser casing, as shown, consists of an extension of the bottom and the free end is bent or curved around so that it comes close to the surface of the bottom plate forming a tape guide opening 15. If desired, the cover and bottom can be made in two or more parts. Back wall 16 of the casing carries an arbor 17 having a spring catch 18. This arbor receives the core 19 of the roll 20 of pressure-sensitive tape T.

A segment of the bottom 4 has a cutaway portion 21 in the area of the adjacent registration pins so that the pressure-sensitive tape withdrawn through guide opening 15 can be registered on said pins and pressed into contact with. a substantial area of the appertaining. surfaces offilm strips also on said pins to be spliced. The surface of the bottom plate is provided with knurled areas 22 situate near the cutaway portion so that when the pressuresensitive tape is applied the amount of its surface contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate will be minimized. For convenience, the splicing machine is provided with a lift plate 23 which is pivoted or hinged atone end by means of. hinge pin 25 and near the other end it is provided with an index or tab 26 which can be grasped to lift the spliced film from the registration pins. The functionofthislift plate is to facilitate removal. of the spliced film without injury to the perforations. in the pressure- ,sensitive tape or: film being spliced. This lift plate can be pivoted. or hinged to the base in various other manners than the one shown. The use of adjoining and spaced registration pins has obvious advantages. However, if desired, the spaced pins can be eliminated, particularly when the cutaway portion is narrow. The lift plate has a vertical formed edge 24 which adds rigidity to thelift plate.

The various. parts of the splicing machine of thisinventioncan. be made of. metal or plastic materials; Thus, ,they'can-be made of iron, steel, aluminum, aluminumal- .loys,, magnesium alloys, copper, brass, bronze; phenolformaldehyde resins, nylon, hard rubber, etc. Theregistrationpins should be made of metal so that they will. not become worn. When the machine is to be used for splicing magnetic sound films" or tapes,.it.is preferable not-to have magnetic materials in either the base unit or the dis- In' using the splicing machine, the strips of film to be spliced are placed on the end registration pins and the ends of such strips are squared up by actuating the knife. The films are then placed on the other registration pins (2) in the desired position for splicing. The casing is then swung downward onto the adjoining film strips. A section of perforated pressure-sensitive tape is withdrawn from the roll through guide opening 15, stretched across the cutaway section of the bottom plate of the casing and registered on the adjacent and more distant pins on the central part of the bedplate. The pressure-sensitive tape is pressed by the fingers or a suitable instrument into contact with the surface of the film strips and then cut with a knife or other instrument by drawing the cutting blade across the tape at the lateral edges of the cutaway opening. The casing is pivoted away from the bedplate, the spliced film lifted from the pins, turned over and the operation is repeated whereby a section of tape is applied to each surface of the film strips.

The casing shown in the drawing is open on one side and this construction admits of ready insertion of a new roll of tape. If desired, a removable, e. g., snap-on side plate can be added.

The perforated tapes useful in the invention may consist of :a base of any strong transparent material, such as cellulose derivatives, e. g, cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate; or regenerated cellulose, e. -g., cellophane or a superpolymer, e. g., polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, poly(vinylchloride or vinylacetate), nylon, polyethylene terephthalate or vinylidine chloride copolymer. The perforations in the pressure-sensitive tape should be of the same size and spacing as in the film to be spliced. However, they can be slightly larger or smaller in area. Any of the usual tacky adhesives are useful for the pressuresen'sitive adhesive layer. Suitable adhesives are described in Drew U. S. Patent 2,177,627.

In place of the particular means for cutting the ends of the perforated webs to be spliced shown in the drawing, of thisapplication, which means are designed primarily for thebutt-splicing of motion picture film, there can be substituted other types of cutting means. A particularly useful cutting means is shown in assignees Fritzinger U. S. application Serial No. 503,385 filed April 25, 1955. In this device the registration pins are set in a slidable plate mounted in a recess in the surface of the bedplate, the, recess being of greater Width than the plate. The plate can be adjusted for butt-splices or overlapping splices of perforated motion picture film. The plate is held in adjusted position by a suitable screw.

The registration pins should be accurately made so that at their lower ends they fit tightly into the perforations in the films to be spliced as Well as in the perforations in the pressure-sensitive tape. For ease in applying the perforated films and pressure-sensitive tape, the pins are tapered or chamfered for a short distance from. their upper ends. v 7

An advantage of the tape splicing machine of this invention is that it is simple in design and easy to operate.

'Anotheradvantage is that it is light in weight and contains no parts which require constant attention and adjustment. Yet another advantage is that the machine is compact, sturdy and dependable. A further advantage is that the machine is economical to build and easy 'to assemble. Still other advantages will be apparent from the above description.

The invention claimed is: 1. A tape splicing machine comprising a bedplate hav- 'ing registration pins in juxtaposition in its upper surface,

a tape dispenser casing pivotally mounted on said bedplate,

'the bottom of said casing having a cutaway portion ad- 'jacent said pins, said casing having means for revolubly supporting a roll of perforated pressure-sensitive tape and means for guiding such tape to said pins in a direction essentially-parallel to the longitudinal axis of the film sections to be spliced when said sections are in splicing position.

2. A tape splicing machine comprising a bedplate having registration pins in juxtaposition in its upper surface, a tape dispenser casing pivotally mounted on said bedplate, the bottom of said casing having a cutaway portion adjacent said pins, said casing having means for revolubly supporting a roll of perforated pressure-sensitive tape and means for guiding such tape to said pins in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the film sections to be spliced when said sections are in splicing position, and a lift plate pivotally mounted on said bedplate fitting over said pins.

3. A tape splicing machine comprising a bedplate having registration pins in juxtaposition and pins spaced therefrom in its upper surface, a tape dispenser casing pivotally mounted on said bedplate, the flat bottom of said casing having a cutaway portion adjacent said juxtaposed pins and holes near the other pins, said casing having means for revolubly supporting a roll of perforated pressure-sensitive tape and means for guiding such tape to said pins in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the film sections to be spliced when said sections are in splicing position.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 3 provided with means for cutting the ends of webs to be spliced.

5. A tape splicing machine comprising a bedplate having registration pins in juxtaposition and pins spaced therefrom in its upper surface, a tape dispenser casing pivotally mounted on said bedplate, the flat bottom of said casing having a cutaway portion about said juxtaposed pins and holes near the other pins, said casing having means for revolubly supporting a rollof pressuresensitive tape and means for guiding such tape to said pins in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the film sections to be spliced when said sections are in splicing position, and a flat lift plate pivotally mounted on said bedplate fitting over said pins and disposed between the surface of the bedplate and the bottom of said casing.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein the upper surface of the bottom is'knurled adjacent said cutaway portion.

7. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein the registration pins are in two rows. r

8. A machineas set forth in claim 6 provided with means for cutting the ends of webs to be spliced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

